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gordon baird

As GMG Weather man Peter Lovasco points out in his very informative post (with great pix) there’s a Blood Moon tonight. This just in from Lisa Smith about how Cape Ann TV plans to celebrate:

Blood Moon/Lunar Eclipse tonight! Is it a prophecy of doom? or a rare celestial event? We here at Cape Ann TV are not sure of what to make of this heavenly sideshow. But to celebrate this rare phenomenon, we will be airing Gordon Bairds’ “Crazy Moon” a musical odyssey.

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I haven’t been able to catch him facing in my direction while out on his daily sails in the arctic wind and cold around Smiths Cove. Some believe it is Gordon Baird. Inquiring minds want to know. Is this Gordon Baird, or if not, who is it?

If it is Gordon, his Crazy Moon production is back at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck Thursday, 1/30- Sunday, 2/9.

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BACK BY POPULAR DEMANDSTARRING THE ORIGINAL CAST

Come and see what all the talk was about this fall with the return of CRAZY MOON, Gordon Baird’s original musical, also starring John Hyde and Kathleen Brown. 8 Shows Thurs. Jan. 30 ~ Sun. Feb. 9.

The show is very exciting and fun and runs only an hour and fifteen minutes – (so even a guy can enjoy it.) Curtain is at 8 pm (thu-fri-sat) and 5 pm (Sun) at The Rocky Neck Cultural Center on 6 Wonson St..

John Steigersaid: ” Gordon Baird takes us on a wondrous journey to mysterious places, his imagination is contagious.”

Jay McLauchlan: ” I would like to see this tour de force again! What a perfect vehicle for the multi-talented Baird, John Hyde and a terrific feature performance by Kathleen Brown, an extraordinary journey, inspiring . . .”

Robert Crandall: ” A creative one man songfest in the best tradition of seafaring story telling. Enjoy. “

What a gift it is to live in a community full of tremendously talented musicians, who can bring world-class music to one of Gloucester’s most treasured spaces.

All the performers were at the top of their game last night and, based on their level of talent, they could have brought giant egos with them.

But they chose to leave their egos at the door and collaborate at the highest level of professionalism in order to lift a packed house at Gloucester’s UU Church to a level of musical joy that many said they hadn’t felt in years.

Bravo!

Thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers and Cape Ann TV crew who helped to bring The Cape Ann Winter Solstice Concert to life.

Thanks, most of all, to everyone who came out to support our local music treasures and help restore the Meetinghouse so it can become a premier listening venue for dozens of major musical events every year.

Based on last night’s success, it’s safe to say we’ll be doing this again and again and again. Stay tuned …

You can’t get advanced tickets online any more, but you can still go the Gloucester UU Church and get tickets at the door ($25 for all ages). Box office opens at 4pm. Doors open at 7. Concert starts at 7:30. There’s plenty of free parking at the Church and nearby (Trinity Church parking lot and Library lot off School St. are both plowed) so come on down and celebrate the longest night of the year with some of Cape Ann’s finest musicians while you help to restore one of Gloucester’s most treasured buildings!

CRAZY MOON ~ Columnist and actor Gordon Baird is staging 8 performances of CRAZY MOON, an original, 10 song musical, starring Gordon but also featuring Kathleen Brown and musician John Hyde at the new Rocky Neck Cultural Center in Gloucester (6 Wonson St.) the last 2 weeks of Sept. The plot is adventurous, mysterious and occasionally swashbuckling. The play is exciting, unexpected, mysterious and technically very innovative at the end.

Thu-Fri-Sat shows at 8 pm and Sunday at 5 pm. Tickets: $10 – kids $5 – all can be bought at the door at showtime. Run time is around 75 mins, so it’s Dadfriendly too. For more info, 978-283-0390 or gordon@rampartsfarm.com. Hope you can make it.

“I’m glad I’ve learned to navigate some of the side streets near Good Harbor beach to avoid the long line of traffic from S&S. Still, it’s horrible during the morning rush on Saturday or Sunday from all these people trying to get to the beach on the weekend. I try to stay off the roads from 9AM till at least 1PM. Then you’re safe for a couple of hours until the beach crowds start leaving…then it’s chaos again. It’s too bad the out-of-towners take over Cape Ann on the weekends for the beaches here, but it’s a fact.”

Click on photo for more about Holland's switch to bicycles

Well a couple of days ago, I saw Holland’s solution to their traffic issues. Maybe we should think about it.

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The Rocky Neck Art Colony will hold its first 2009 Nights on the Neck evening of gallery receptions and entertainment on Thursday, June 4, from 5-9 p.m.

The evening will feature:

Three Sheets to the Wind: The Schooner Adventure spawned Three Sheets to the Wind, a group of musicians and crew members who are preserving the history of maritime work songs (chanteys) and forebitter songs.

Eoin Vincent: In November 2007, Eoin Vincent visited and photographed 18 orphanages, schools, and hospitals near Arusha, Tanzania. Vincent will give a slide show and a talk about his book (proceeds from the book will benefit charities for the people of Tanzania).

Gordon Baird: Gordon Baird will bounce around between show tunes and comedic renditions of familiar classics, tailored to a Glosta sensibility and a Rocky Neck state of mind.

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Residents have two chances to view some of the city’s historic murals in the next few days.

Cape Ann Museum is offering the earliest, when it will present “Howard Curtis and Gloucester’s Works Progress Administration Murals,” a walking tour with Susan Erony on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

The second is when O’Maley Middle School opens its doors to allow public viewing of its murals Tuesday evening in conjection with a student art show.

Among Gloucester’s treasures are its collection of murals painted as part of the Federal Art Project of the 1930s Works Progress Administration. City Hall and Sawyer Free Library were two beneficiaries of the marriage between a vibrant local arts community and a federal government program.

The tour will focus on murals in those buildings by Charles Allen Winter, Frederick J. Mulhaupt and Frederick Stoddard, as well as the late Howard Curtis. Years after they were painted, Curtis was responsible for saving the WPA murals when few other people understood their social, historical and aesthetic value.

Saturday’s walking tour includes a visit to the museum’s exhibition of seascapes by Curtis (1906-1989). The tour will stop at City Hall auditorium for a look at the social, political, artistic and historic context for the murals, as well as Sawyer Free Library to view murals by Frederick Stoddard, who was assisted by Curtis. There will be time for questions and discussion.

Erony is an artist and a freelance art lecturer, educator, writer and curator. She has consulted with organizations on issues of art and society, taught and lectured on both art history and art practice. She served on the Gloucester Committee for the Arts, where much of her work focused on Gloucester’s collection of WPA-funded murals. Erony attended Rhode Island School of Design, Massachusetts College of Art, Lesley University and the University for Humanistic Studies in Utrecht, Holland. Her artwork, focusing primarily on history and the human condition, has been exhibited extensively in Europe, Canada and the United States and is in many private and public collections.

Funding for this program was made possible through a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Reservations are required; call Jeanette Smith at 978-283-0455, x11. The museum is located at 27 Pleasant St. in Gloucester.

O’Maley Middle School in Gloucester will host “Vanilla, Strawberry, Picasso,” a celebration of student work and an ice cream social featuring student masterpieces. As part of the evening’s events, residents can see the WPA murals by Cape Ann’s Mulhaupt (1871-1938), who is best known for capturing the era of the “New Deal.” The paintings, worth an estimated $1.1 million, are open to viewing by the public inside the middle school on Tuesday, April 14, from 6 to 8 p.m.. This event is part of a community outreach plan to promote the school’s commitment to high standards of academic excellence and community involvement.

“This event is centered on the students, staff, and all the great things that they are doing to further O’Maley Middle School as a place where students can thrive and succeed,” said O’Maley Principal Michael Tracy. “This is an opportunity for our school to open its doors to the public and feature exemplary pieces of students’ work in addition to sharing some influential art work.”

Baird performing with jazz quartet

“Singing columnist” Gordon Baird will be the featured vocalist for the Mark Early Jazz Quartet tonight from 7 to 9 at Latitude 43 restaurant in Gloucester.

Baird is known for his Gloucester Daily Times columns, sailing exploits and local TV show and has appeared in musicals at North Shore Music Theatre, Boston’s Lyric Stage and Reagle Players. Baird is also known for his Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett picks as well as selected show tunes.

Early, a member of Roomful of Blues, regularly hosts a rotating cadre of jazz players and singers from Boston to the North Shore. Special guest vocalists are expected.

For more info, call 978-281-0223.

1980s-style prom event with Safety

Gulu Gulu Cafe will present a 1980s-style prom event to raise money for HIV prevention on Saturday with the dance band Safety, featuring several Cape Ann musicians. The band rocks the house at the “Pretty In Pink 1980s Prom” event at the Salem cafe, located at 247 Essex St., starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 each. Those attending are invited to don their rubber bracelets, neon leggings,and prom dresses, and reach new heights with hair spray. In addition to live music from Safety, the event includes DJ Express spinning ’80s favorites, video clips, a special performance from drag diva Blanch Debris, prom photos in front of a vintage ’80s backdrop, raffle, prizes for best ’80s outfit and dance skills, and a buffet. Tickets can be purchased at the cafe in advance or at the door.

The Rockport Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 19th annual Community Egg Hunt for the local children at Millbrook Meadow on Saturday at 2 p.m., weather and meadow conditions permitting. Preschoolers will be grouped in one section, and kindergartners and first-graders in another. In addition to assorted candies, the hunt will feature a number of special eggs to be redeemed for prizes.

Cape Ann Community Cinema

This week, Cape Ann Community Cinema is screening “Wendy and Lucy” from Friday to Sunday, at 5 and 7:15 p.m.

The film, described as a poetic road drama, stars Academy Award-nominee Michelle Williams as Wendy Carroll, who is driving to Ketchikan, Alaska, in hopes of a finding summer work at the Northwestern Fish cannery, and the start of a new life with her dog, Lucy. When her car breaks down in Oregon, however, the thin fabric of her financial situation comes apart, and she confronts a series of increasingly dire economic decisions, with far-ranging repercussions for herself and her dog. “Wendy and Lucy addresses issues of sympathy and generosity at the edges of American life, revealing the limits and depths of people’s duty to each other in tough times,” according to a film description.

This Saturday features “Opera on the Island” with the HD screening of “Don Carlo” by Verdi at 1 p.m.

The version inaugurated the 2008-09 La Scala Opera Season. It is the 1884 four-act version that Verdi reduced and changed into Italian from the original 1867 five-act version in French. The story is based on conflicts in the life of the Prince of Asturias, after his betrothed, Elisabeth of Valois, was married instead to his father, Philip II of Spain, as part of the peace treaty ending the Italian War of 1551-1559 between the Houses of Habsburg and Valois, according to a press release.

The films are shown at Gloucester Stage Co. at 267 East Main St. in Gloucester. For tickets and showtimes, visit http://www.capeanncinema.com.

Local photographers at gallery reception

Photographic works by Rockport Art Association members David Piemonte and Law Hamilton are part of a new show on display at the Mingo Gallery at 284 Cabot St. in Beverly. The gallery is hosting an artists reception Saturday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The artists will be on hand to talk about their works, and wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. The gallery is showcasing the photos of six artists: Piemonte, Hamilton, Jeffrey Trubisz of Salem, whose work has been shown at the Rockport Art Association, Mike Otis of Beverly, and Ed and Dorothy Monnelly of Ipwsich. The works include portraits of jazz musicians, landscape and architectural studies, as well as still lifes. The show runs through May 16. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, or by appointment. More information is available by calling 978-927-5964.

Museum presents Family Free Day

Cape Ann Museum presents a free drop-in program for families on the second Saturday of each month. Family free day includes admission for family members all day, family gallery guides, art and history activities in the education room, and light refreshments served throughout the day. Stop by this Saturday for activities related to “Howard A. Curtis, Seascapes” exhibition. The museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester. For information, call 978- 283-0455.

Franklin Fridays

For the “Franklin Fridays” Supper Club, Gloucester vocalist Linda Amero will be featuring Boston musicians Joe Mullholland on piano and Bronek Suchanek on bass at the Franklin Cafe, 118 Main St., Gloucester, this Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. There is no cover charge but reservations recommended.

Around Cape Ann is a column devoted to events happening on Cape Ann and artists from Cape Ann performing elsewhere. If you would like to submit an item, contact reporter Gail McCarthy at 978-283-7000, ext. 3445 or gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com, or fax to 978-281-5748.

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Last nights presentation of Greenheads at Cape Ann Community Cinema brought in an additional $640 for the Children of Matteo Russo Fund. It was through the generosity of Robert Newton and Gordon Baird who presented the movie with the purpose of donating to this great cause and the people that turned out to support it.

Sometime painter Sam Holdsworth painted a series of 38 oil panels which were an imaginative, sideways tribute to that local summertime menace, the Tabanus americanus — or Greenhead horse fly. This short film, produced and narrated by Holdsworth’s Musician Magazine co-founder, Gordon Baird, is a simultaneously amusing and haunting short film, portraying the carnivorous creatures as human-like and alien at the same time.

Mr. Baird will be on hand to present the film and conduct a Q&A after the show, which is presented at the special discount price of $5.00, proceeds from which will benefit the Matteo Russo Fund. A selection of Gloucester-related short subjects will precede the film.

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As long as supplies last if any GMG folks want a bumper sticker but can't drop down the dock, just send a self addressed and stamped envelope longer then 7 and a half inches and I'll drop one in the mail for you.

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Free GMG Gloucester Sticker

As long as supplies last if any GMG folks want a bumper sticker but can't drop down the dock, just send a self addressed and stamped envelope longer then 7 and a half inches and I'll drop one in the mail for you.

Send the self addressed and stamped envelope to the dock at 95 East Main St Gloucester Ma 01930 care of Joey (put my name in big letters to make sure it gets to me)